Russia: “Venezuela buys 12 Sukhoi Su-30 fighters”

As late as October this year the Venezuelan Air Force commander, Major-General Valentin Cruz Edgar Arteaga, met with representatives from the Russian state weapons export company Rosoboronexport to talk about the details. The Venezuelan government has allocated 480 million US dollars for the deal, which sounds like a bargain for these advanced jets.

Su-30 Venezuela crash

The Bolivarian National Air Force of Venezuela already operates almost two dozen Su-30MK2Vs. Of the 24 purchases in 2006 one crashed on 17 September 2015 while attempting to intercept an aircraft flying into Venezuela from Colombia. The Flankers make up the core of the combat fleet, which also includes 10 Lockheed Martin F-16A single-seaters and 2 F-16B two-seaters.

Sukhoi Airbases

Most Sukhois currently operate from Barcelona / Luis del Valle Garcia Airbase halfway the capital Caracas and Trinidad and Tobago. However, the dozen new Su-30s may be based at El Sombrero/Capitan Manuel Rios Guarico AB south of the capital, which is already the second Flanker base of the country.